A Piece of The Past
by Emily92
Summary: Five years after the first adventure. Can Ben, Tom, and Lindy help Professor Savant find the Whangdoodles' missing daughter and rediscover a piece of their past while they're at it?
1. Chapter One

**A Piece of The Past**

**Author's Notes:** I've always wanted to write a story for The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles. I started this awhile back ago but stopped becuase I hated Lindy's out-of-character-ness. I have started to retry this, though. Tell me what you think. Flashbacks from the original taex are in _italic_.

**Disclaimer:** The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles belongs to Julie Andrews Edwards. No copyright infringement intended.

* * *

**Chapter 1**

Sixteen year old Tom Potter walked uncertainly down the street. He didn't know where to go, but he felt like taking a walk. Tom kicked at a pebble. All of a sudden, he knew where to go: the Bramblewood Zoo.

As he walked towards the zoo, Tom thought about how things used to be, before his Grandmother died, before his parent's divorce, and before Ben and Lindy became so different.

Lindy. Nobody even called her Lindy anymore. They didn't call her Melinda, either, they called her Mel. She was no longer an annoying but cute seven year old, she was a conceited thirteen year old who thought of nothing but cute boys and make up.

Lindy – Mel – reminded Tom of a snobby Barbie doll.

Ben was nineteen, and was too busy with college and having his own life for anything else. Tom missed the times when he and Ben used to do things together. Those good old days seemed like decades ago.

Tom arrived at the zoo. He saw a duck, and a memory popped into his head.

"_I want to see the tigers," Tom announced._

"_I want to see the donkeys and the ducks," countered Lindy._

"_Donkeys and ducks," Tom scoffed, "Anyone can see a donkey or a duck, and you don't have to go to the zoo for it. That's just a waste of time."_

"_I know, I know," Lindy replied, "I just feel like seeing a donkey or a duck today. I don't know why."_

Tom sighed blissfully. That day had been an important one – it was the day that they met Professor Savant at the zoo. Tom wondered what ever happened to him – the last he heard The Professor was in Washington, but he hadn't written for about five years.

Well, speak of the devil. Professor Samuel Savant himself was at the Bramblewood Zoo at that very moment, looking at the giraffes. Tom peered over his shoulder and saw him.

"Professor Savant!" Tom called.

"Tom! Tom, guess who visited me today?"

"Who?"

"The Prock. He was in a tizzy. It seems as if the Whangdoodle's daughter – it think he said her name was Zoe – has gone missing. He wanted to know if you, Ben, Lindy, and I would come to Whangdoodleland and help search for her," The professor said.

"Of course we'd go, but..." Tom started.

"What is it, Tom?" asked the professor, concerned.

"Well, Lindy and Ben..."

Tom explained about how his brother and sister had changed.

"...But I think I could persuade them to come," Tom concluded, after all, Ben was out of school on summer break, and Lindy could be persuaded.

"Excellent. I shall see you next Wednesday at 2:00 at my house," said the professor.

* * *

Tom had been able to persuade a very reluctant Ben to go back to Whangdoodleland, but he was having a harder time with Lindy. 

"That old man? You mean he hasn't croaked yet?" she asked when Tom told her he had run into the professor. She was chewing about five pieces of gum.

"C'mon Mel, the Whangdoodle needs us," Tom replied.

"I'm going shopping Wednesday, you and Ben can go without me."

"Do I have to beg you?"

Lindy rolled her eyes.

"Alright, I'll make a deal with you."

"What?"

"You come to Whangdoodleland and help us," Tom said, "And I'll try to get Colin to take you to the back to school dance."

Colin was a boy that Lindy had an enormous crush on.

Lindy squealed, "You've got yourself a deal!"

"Alright!" Tom exclaimed happily, "We're supposed to be at the professor's house at 2:00 next Wednesday.

* * *

At 2:00 sharp on Wednesday, Ben, Tom, and Lindy were at the professor's house. Mrs. Primrose answered the door. 

"Come in. The professor is waiting for you," she smiled.

"Hello, Mrs. Primrose," Ben said, looking bored.

"Hi," said Tom.

Lindy wrinkled her nose and muttered, "That skirt isn't vintage, it's antique."

Tom elbowed her, but luckily, Mrs. Primrose, who was leading them down the hallway, hadn't heard Lindy.

"Ben, Tom, Lindy! Hallo!" The professor ushered them into his sitting room.

"It's Mel; no one's called me Lindy in years," Lindy told him. She had about six wads of gum in her mouth.

They sat down.

"Alright, let's get to Whangdoodleland and rescue the Whangdoodle's daughter – what did you say her name was? – as soon as possible," said Ben.

"That's the spirit, Ben," The professor replied.

"Well, I _do_ literally have fifty million things to do," Ben added, looking annoyed.

"Let's get started, then."


	2. Chapter Two

**Disclaimer:** The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles belongs to Julie Andrews Edwards. No copyright infringement intended.

* * *

**Chapter 2**

The professor led Ben, Tom, and Lindy to his garden. Tom recalled the last time that they had been here.

_"Hello, hello, hello." The professor's head popped up over the trellis. "Come and see what I've got."_

The children ran across the grass. Professor Savant was kneeling on the floor of the summerhouse, playing with a large multicolored rabbit.

"Ohhh." Lindy dropped to her knees. "Isn't he beautiful."

"What's his name?" asked Tom.

"Sneezewort. He lives in laboratory. I hate to see him in a cage all the time, so I bring him down here for a walk as often as I can."

"Where did you get him?" Ben wanted to know.

"Sneezewort is the result of a study I did in cross breading," the professor said proudly. "His great-grandfather was a Belgian hare and his great-grandmother was a Himalayan black and while. I went on from there. You should have seen the combinations I produced." He chuckled.

"Ben," Tom asked, "Do you remember Sneezewort?"

Ben gave Tom a perplexed look, "No."

"Alright," the professor told them, "Enough talk, let's get down to business.  
Now, I want you to tell me all the colors that you see right now. Ben first, then Lindy, and then Tom."

"Mel," Lindy corrected.

"Um," Ben started, "Well, the blue sky, and the green grass. Your flowers over there are red."

"Alright, Li- Mel, your turn."

"The house is gray," She said, looking bored, "My nails are painted pink, and my shirt is pink, too."

"Good," the professor said, "Tom, you're next."

"The summer house is brown, and those birds sitting on the wire over there are blue," Tom said, "You have yellow daisies growing behind where Ben is standing. The roof of your house is black, and there's gray smoke coming from the chimney."

"Excellent!" Professor Savant praised Tom, "Ben, Mel, take notice of those things. Now, tell me everything that you hear. Mel, you first."

"I don't hear anything," Lindy said carelessly as she chewed on her gum.

"All I hear is her," Ben pointed to his sister, "Smacking on her gum."

"I hear some birds chirping," Tom said hopefully. He knew that they had a long way to go before they could go to Whangdoodle Land.

* * *

They worked for about another hour, reviewing on how to really notice things, and then Mrs. Primrose brought out tea and cookies. They ate on the back patio.

"So," The professor said, "I haven't seen you three in quite some time. How have you been?"

"Okay," Lindy said absent mindedly.

"Mel, I see you like gum," The professor said, stating the obvious, "Why the name change? I always thought Lindy sounded nice."

"I dunno," she said, sounding like her old self for the first time in a long time, "I just wanted something different, you know? Lindy sounds so childish, and I'm hardly a child anymore."

Lindy had not lost any of her candor.

"How have you been, professor?" She asked.

"Oh, busy, busy. I've been doing a lot of research," He said, "Ben; I hear you're in college now. How do you like it? What're you studying?"

"I'm studying journalism, and I like it a lot," Ben said.

"Journalism, that's great," Professor Savant said, "Tom, what about you?"

Tom shrugged and gave the professor a little half smile, "I'm the same." 


	3. Chapter Three

**Author's Notes:** Hey, look who finally updated her fanfic based on one of her favorite books of all time! I know, I know, I seriously suck for neglecting this story for two years now. Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed between now and my last update. Well, I hope you like chapter three.

**Disclaimer:** Still not mine.

* * *

**Chapter Three**

The Potters stayed with the professor for another hour. They talked while enjoying the various goodies that Mrs. Primrose had brought out. At five o'clock Ben stood up.

"It's been great seeing you again," he told Professor Savant, "but I must be going. I simply have far to many things to do today."

"Yeah," Lindy made a face, "I have math homework."

"Seeing you three again was quite a treat," Professor Savant said, "Are you free tomorrow?"

"Yes," Tom answered before either of his siblings could argue. Lindy could skip the mall, and whatever Ben would claim to be busy with could wait.

Ben gave Tom a look. Lindy stared at a sparkly pink painted nail. Fortunately, the professor noticed neither of them.

"Marvelous!" he exclaimed, "I'll see you all around eleven. Saturdays are great picnic days. It'll be fun."

* * *

"I don't understand why," Ben said to Tom as they walked home, "you insist on us spending so much time with the professor."

"You heard him," Tom said defensively, "the whangdoodle needs our help."

"You honestly still don't believe in that stuff, right?" Ben asked.

"Of course I believe it," Tom replied indignantly, "We all were in Whangdoodleland and saw everything with our own eyes. Why shouldn't I believe it?"

"Yes, but does the professor really need us? Why can't he just go on his own?" Ben asked wearily, "He probably has the most active imagination of the four of us."

"I think," Lindy declared, "that it will be fun. Being over there reminds me of back when everything was better, before the divorce."

"Exactly!" Tom said, "Don't you see, Ben?"

"Of course," Lindy continued as if she had not been interrupted as they turned the corner, "We can't spend every day with him. There are other people to see and stores to be shopped at."

* * *

Professor Savant climbed the stairs to his study. He entered the room and sat down at his desk, looking as if he was in deep thought. A few minutes later, a tap on the shoulder greatly startled him. He whirled around only to find himself face to face with The Prock.

"Good heavens, my friend!" Professor Savant, "Must you sneak up on me like that?"

"I didn't mean to startle you," The Prock wore a grim expression upon his face, "The Whangdoodle wanted me to pay you a visit immediately."

"She still hasn't been found, then?" Professor Savant inquired sadly.

"No," The Prock replied, looking anxious, "I don't understand where little Zoe could be! The entire palace has been searched. Her parents are besides themselves with worry, of course."

"Understandably, " The Professor replied, "You'll never guess who I ran into today."

The Prock frowned, "Please, just tell me. Oh, how I _hate _guessing."

"Benjamin, Thomas, and Melinda Potter."

"Wonderful!" The Prock smiled, as if he had forgotten all of his worries, "They haven't visited us for the longest time. How are they?"

The Professor paused, "Ben is in college and is a rather busy, Lindy - or Mel, as she prefers to be called nowadays - enjoys shopping and bubblegum, and Tom is just about the same."

"Hmm," The Prock replied, "Well, do you think the four of you will be able to help us with the search for Zoe? We do need all the help we can get."

"Yes, thought it may take awhile," Professor Savant told The Prock, "We've got quite a bit of work ahead of us."

* * *

"Children!" The former Mrs. Potter - she was now known by her maiden name, Bellerose - called the three down to supper.

"Mel!" She scolded, "How many times have I told you no gum at the table?"

Lindy disposed of her gum and rolled her eyes.

"Mother, you'll never guess who we saw today," Ben said, making small talk.

"Who?" their mother asked. Ever since the divorce, money had been extremely tight. Ms. Bellerose and the children had to bid Ethel farewell; consequently, Ms. Bellerose worked twice as hard. She looked very tired that particular evening.

"Professor Savant," Tom informed her.

"Ah," she replied, "How is the professor?"

"Same as ever," Lindy spoke up.

"Yes, but I still think he needs a reality check," Ben muttered. Tom shook his head at is brother, unnoticed by the other three people at the dinner table.

"That's possible," Lindy said, "I'm still going tomorrow, though. But we need to be done by three, because I'm going to Tessa's house."

Ben stood up, "I have a paper to finish."

Lindy and Tom helped their mother clear the table. Then Lindy went into her room. A few moments later, Tom knocked on her door.

"Come in," Lindy said, "What is it, Tom?"

"You're really going to come tomorrow?" He asked his sister uncertainly.

"I said I would," Lindy replied, "It's nowhere near as boring as I thought it would be. What's the harm?"

Tom smiled, "You're right; there is none. Night, Lindy."

She didn't correct him that time, "Night, Tom."


	4. Chapter Four

**Author's Notes: **Once again, flashbacks from the original text are in italic.

**Disclaimer:** The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles does not belong to me.

* * *

**Chapter Four**

Ben, Tom, and Lindy walked towards Professor Savant's house. It was Saturday morning. The three siblings rounded the corner and were nearly at the Professor's house.

"Do you remember the first time we came here?" Lindy asked.

Tom nodded, the memory entering his mind.

_The owl hooted again as Lindy stood on tiptoe and raised a trembling hand to the door knocker. With a burst of courage she banged it hard three times. The sound rang out in the stillness of the night and echoed through the trees. For a brief moment nothing happened. Then, suddenly, the front door swung open and a very sweet and __cheerful-looking lady smiled down at her._

_Lindy let our a piercing scream._

"I can't believe we thought Mrs. Primrose was a witch," Tom said, amused as the memory.

"Well, she dresses like one."

"Lindy!"

"Sorry."

"Would you two quit your bickering?" Ben demanded, "We're here."

"Good morning!" Professor Savant greeted them cheerfully.

"Hi, Professor," Lindy replied.

"How are you three this morning?" the professor asked.

"Good," Tom said.

"Well, Mrs. Primrose packed a picnic basket full of goodies. Come on, we'll take my car."

"Since when do you drive?" Tom asked, incredulous.

"My dear Thomas," the professor chuckled, "I've had a driver's license for about twenty-five years now. More often than not, however, just I choose not too. It's bad for he environment, you know."

The four got into Professor Savant's car. He began to drive.

"Where exactly are we going?" Ben inquired.

The professor smiled, "Perhaps you remember the old farmhouse that I own."

"We're going there?" Lindy asked, sounding excited.

"Yes. I'm glad you remember it, Mel."

"You can call me Lindy if you'd like."

"Gee," Tom teased his sister good naturedly, "Aren't you worried about how filthy it could be?"

"Oh, hush, Tom," she replied, "Besides, we can sit on a blanket to keep clean."

Shortly after that, they arrived at the farm house. They sat around a fire, eating the goodies Mrs. Primrose had packed for them.

"Alright everybody," the professor said, "Tell me everything you smell. Quick!"

"The fire," Lindy piped up, "And I smell cinnamon from the food. The air in here has a kind of musty smell to it. Oh, and Ben's aftershave."

The professor chuckled, "Excellent, Lindy. Ben, you next."

"I smell the pine trees outside. I guess that's basically it, plus everything that Mel said."

"It's a good start," the professor encouraged.

Tom sipped his ginger ale. This was going better than he thought it would. It was much better than yesterday, at least. Lindy was actually trying. He smiled, glad that his sister seemed to be on board with this whole thing.

"Have you heard anything from Whangdoodleland, Professor?" he asked out loud.

"I saw the Prock yesterday," Professor Savant said in response to Tom's question, "They still haven't found Zoe. The Whangdoodle is simply beside himself with worry, as is Clarity. "

"I wonder where she could be," Tom worried.

"Not far, I hope," the Professor replied. He turned to the eldest of the Potter siblings, "Ben. How's school going?"

"It's fine," Ben replied, looking bored.

"I've been thinking," Lindy said, "It would be very nice to go back to the Bramblewood Zoo."

Tom gave his sister a funny look, "I can't picture you going to the zoo."

"Well, I would," Lindy said matter-of-factly, "It's where we met and this all started, you know. Don't you remember, all those years ago?"

"Of course I do. I just didn't think you did," Tom replied.

"Let's make a point of going back there," the Professor said.

"Right," Tom said, "As soon as we find the Whangdoodle's daughter."

* * *

Later that evening, Lindy knocked on Tom's bedroom door.

"Hi," she said.

"Hi, Lindy." Tom greeted her.

"Can I talk to you?" Lindy asked.

"Course," Tom replied.

"I know I've been acting badly recently. I mean, honestly, the whole 'Mel' persona is shallow and annoying and not something I want to be anymore."

"I'm glad you think so," Tom nodded.

"I guess," Lindy continued, "After the divorce I needed a way to cope, and I took to shopping and gossip. Tom, I don't even recognize myself anymore. Being with the professor makes me miss my old self."

"You're still _Lindy_," Tom told his sister, "I mean, even when you were Mel, Lindy was still hidden in there somewhere. You agreed to go on the professor's picnic today."

"Yeah. What I really wanted to do though, Tom, was apologize for acting so stupid. I really am sorry."

"Don't worry about it."

"Okay. Night, Tom."

"Night, Lindy."


End file.
